"It's Just a Part of Who You Are"

"'I was documenting the Pop Art scene before it was called that,' Hopper told me. 'I was also buying as many pieces as I could, because I loved the work, I really did. When Warhol had his soup can show, I bought one from John Weber, who was running Virginia Dwan's gallery in Westwood. It was hanging over his desk and I said, "What is that?" and he said, "Well that's the first soup-can oil painting of Andy's." And I said, "Yeah? Well, how much is that?" And he said, "$75." And I said, "Well, I'll take it, because Irving Blum is selling them for $100."'"

Jessica Hundley in the Los Angeles Times previews the Dennis Hopper exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art.